‘Stop sharing the videos’ — Gender Minister warns over leaked intimate videos linked to Russian
The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has urged Ghanaians to refrain from sharing non-consensual intimate videos of Ghanaian women allegedly recorded secretly and circulated online by a Russian national.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday, February 14, 2026, the Minister described the circulation of the videos as harmful and potentially life-threatening for the victims.
“I will urge us to stop sharing the pictures and the videos. It is not good; you might think that, it is fun sharing it, but from where I sit, people can lose their lives because of that. Their entire future can be wiped away because of that.
“I will plead with us. People fall, but the good thing is that they gather the courage to rise again. Let's give these people the opportunity to rise,” she said.
Dr Momo Lartey said her ministry was collaborating with the Ministry of Communication, which is constituting a technical team, as well as security agencies, to ensure that the videos are pulled down and perpetrators circulating the content are brought to book.
She added that steps were being taken to provide psychological support for the victims, stressing the need for Ghanaians to protect the dignity and image of those affected.
The Minister lamented what she described as the naivety and overly trusting nature of some young people, saying this had made them vulnerable to exploitation.
“Ghanaians are so trusting sometimes; some of the girls were just naive. We are so trusting because that is how we were brought up. We used to say we are hospitable.
“I don't know if we can still say that. When you see within the community, someone will give their daughter or son out to lead a stranger to a neighbour's house, and that is how we are.
“We are so open and so trusting that you can see a stranger and walk to the stranger's home without knowing who the stranger is,” she said.
Dr Momo Lartey advised citizens to be more cautious in their interactions and to prioritise their safety at all times.
“Wherever you are, even in the midst of familiar faces, ensure that your safety is paramount. Don't be too trusting to let the entire rope out to somebody without holding the end of it, so that in case of danger, you can easily pull back. I will plead with them,” the Minister said.
She described the development as “very unfortunate” and “heartbreaking”, but also a lesson for Ghanaians to take pragmatic steps to prevent a recurrence.
